Route · SMF → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data
Sacramento to Chicago
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to ORD (Sacramento to Chicago) ranks #2075 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 85.8%
- On-time
- +6.8 pts
- vs US avg
- 86 min
- Delay when late
- 6,001
- Flights
- #2075 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.1%
Best Month
Feb 2025 95%
Worst Month
Jul 2025 54%
Distance
1,781 mi
Carriers
4
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 75 | 16 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Nov 2025 | 91 | 21 | 3 | 1 | UA,AA |
| Oct 2025 | 124 | 21 | 1 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Sep 2025 | 117 | 21 | 0 | 1 | UA,AA |
| Aug 2025 | 120 | 40 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 123 | 57 | 1 | 4 | AA,UA |
| Jun 2025 | 120 | 39 | 1 | 0 | AA,UA |
| May 2025 | 124 | 21 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Apr 2025 | 117 | 16 | 0 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Mar 2025 | 64 | 10 | 0 | 2 | UA |
| Feb 2025 | 56 | 3 | 0 | 1 | UA |
| Jan 2025 | 74 | 9 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 88 | 13 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Nov 2024 | 87 | 9 | 0 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Oct 2024 | 109 | 9 | 1 | 1 | UA,AA |
| Sep 2024 | 115 | 14 | 2 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Aug 2024 | 122 | 21 | 4 | 1 | AA,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 122 | 30 | 5 | 1 | AA,UA |
| Jun 2024 | 118 | 17 | 3 | 0 | AA,UA |
| May 2024 | 122 | 30 | 4 | 1 | AA,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 108 | 19 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Mar 2024 | 62 | 8 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Feb 2024 | 59 | 6 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Jan 2024 | 76 | 8 | 2 | 0 | AA,UA |
SMF–ORD seasonal on-time pattern
Best: February (92.2%) · weakest: July (75.3%)
Strongest calendar month
February
92.2% on-time · ~64 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
September
~118 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
75.3% on-time · ~103 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.1%
27 of 2,393 flights
Diversion Rate
0.5%
13 of 2,393 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
SMF - Sacramento
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Sacramento, CA.
SMF on-time profileORD - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
ORD on-time profileCompare the two airports
See SMF and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare SMF vs ORDOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among SMF's stronger departures
SMF → ORD posts a 85.8% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 35 BTS-tracked routes leaving Sacramento. The same hub also shows 14 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #974 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to SMF–ORD.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About SMF to ORD
Sacramento to Chicago (SMF to ORD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.8% on-time rate across 6,001 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 85.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,781 miles and is served by 4 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 27 of 2,393 flights were cancelled (1.1%) and 13 diverted (0.5%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2025 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 54% - a 41-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, SMF–ORD peaks in February at 92.2% on-time while September carries the heaviest traffic (~118 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.3%, a 16.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does SMF to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from SMF to ORD? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to ORD? ▼
How far is the flight from SMF to ORD? ▼
When is the best time to fly from SMF to ORD? ▼
Airports on this route
Data source
Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using SMF–ORD data
SMF–ORD runs 6.8 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.
- Compare SMF and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
- If your dates flex, February (92.2% on-time) beats July (75.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 85.8% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.
Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.